By Betsy Russell
It’s been a busy season on the public records front. We have some good news to report, and some things that are still in flux
On the good side: The Idaho media’s joint efforts to fight secrecy and sealing of both documents and proceedings in the St. Alphonsus vs. St. Luke’s anti-trust case were largely successful. Charles Brown, the Lewiston attorney who represented the Idaho Statesman, the Press Club and other Idaho media in the case, said, “When we first made the motions, we did so at a time when the Court … [Read more...]

Emilie Ritter Saunders has lived in Boise since 2011, when she was hired by NPR's StateImpact. In 2014, she joined the Idaho Press Club state board, on which she currently serves as secretary. Saunders, a Montana native, has worked in both television and radio, and recently shared her perspective on social media, storytelling and the future of journalism.
Where were you born?
Great Falls, Mont. Raised in Missoula, Mont.
Where have you worked?
I started working for my local public radio station, Montana Public Radio, during college. I … [Read more...]

TELEVISION
Boise
KTVB-TV
Digital content producer Lindsey Lankford has left for a position with theUniversity of Cincinnati; producer Char Jackson left to join Blue Cross of Idaho. Producer Anna Daly was promoted to a position as digital sales specialist.
Joining the staff are digital content producer Sean Deter; producer Edina Macic, who comes from Wild 101; and photographer Mary Kienzle, who comes from KBOI-2.
Other new additions are sports anchor and reporter Will Hall , who arrived from WOI/Des Moines; and reporterDean … [Read more...]

It’s contest time! Now is the time to enter your best work in the Idaho Press Club’s “Best of 2014” contest, Idaho’s premier journalism contest.
The deadline for entries this year is Jan. 21, and there will be no extensions, so please plan ahead! Entry is done entirely online; please start early, to ensure you have all the time you need to gather, upload and enter your work and ensure it’s considered for recognition.
We’ve been refining the process and hope it will be easy for you; for help along the way, please refer to the “How to Enter … [Read more...]

By Betsy Russell
It was standing-room only in Sandpoint as 75-plus people filled the Sandpoint Library’s community room for a three-hour workshop on Idaho’s open meeting and public records laws – the fourth such session in North Idaho in four days, all sponsored by Idahoans for Openness in Government and featuring Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden.
Those attending ranged from the county sheriff to local elected officials to government employees, reporters, a newly elected state lawmaker and lots of interested citizens. … [Read more...]

By Clark Corbin
Get your brown tags ready, because the Southwest Chapter of the Idaho Press Club is celebrating the opening of the 2015 legislative session with free food.
The chapter is once again sponsoring its annual legislative social – and inviting journalists, communications professionals, lobbyists and legislators to join us for an evening of fun at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8 at Solid Grill and Bar, 405 S. Eighth St., in downtown Boise.
The Press Club will provide a free, delicious spread of appetizers and finger foods … [Read more...]

By Brian Kane
Idahoans for Openness in Government recently traveled through the northern part of Idaho. A frequent topic of questions and discussion was investigatory records held by law enforcement. Within the past year, the Idaho Supreme Court and the Idaho Court of Appeals have each weighed in on the analysis of records under Idaho Code § 9-335, more commonly known as the investigatory records exemption.
In Wade v. Taylor, the court evaluated a public records request for the investigation into a police shooting. In its … [Read more...]

By Emilie Ritter Saunders & Audrey Dutton
In October, Boise State Public Radio and the Idaho Statesman launched a collaborative, multimedia series exploring Idaho’s fragmented mental health system. The collaboration was the first of its kind for our two organizations. Instead of simply sharing content, the series was a true cross-platform collaboration where both of us crafted stories specifically … [Read more...]

PRINT
TWIN FALLS TIMES-NEWS
Times-News Editor Autumn Agar left to become editor of another Lee Enterprises newspaper, The Southern in Carbondale, Ill. Matt Christensen has been named the new editor; he is returning to the paper after starting his journalism career there in 2005 as a features and natural resource reporter. Most recently, Christensen has served as the editor of the Montana Standard in Butte since 2013.
Nathan Brown has joined the Times-News as political reporter, covering the Idaho Legislature and Magic Valley local … [Read more...]